


Candidly Yours

by whyareallthesestucktogether (backb4thekick)



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: Bonding, F/M, Photography, Pictures, Survival, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 11:44:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1427242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backb4thekick/pseuds/whyareallthesestucktogether
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a pack of clickers resolve to make them lunch, Ellie and Joel escape into the woods for an impromptu photoshoot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Candidly Yours

They had just finished outrunning a pack of clickers. They had heard one at first, ambling around the room as it croaked--onto something as it moved in their direction. Joel crouched down and motioned for Ellie to stay right there. She wanted to object, but Joel was acting in her best interest whether he liked her or not. It was all part of the job and all about making it out in one piece. At this point, it seemed as if they were going to be a clicker feast—an outcome nobody in this world wanted, but many succumbed to in spite of it.

Joel looked around for anything he could throw, to get it to go in a different direction. No such luck existed, so he took out a shiv. He waited until it turned the corner, but it lunged at him quick. He tried to free his arm so he could stab it, but again, no such luck existed and the struggle continued. His arm was free, but all of a sudden there was a bang and the clicker slumped in his arms and he threw it to the ground.

He looked to his side. Ellie. It was the second time she'd saved his ass like that.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "I know it's for emergencies only, but-"  
Joel waved his hand as he exhaled and she stopped her apology.  
"Are you ok?" He asked her, since she looked a hell of a lot more scared than he did. She nodded, but all of a sudden he heard more clicks. It was louder than one, and soon it was louder than two. If his ears were correct...shit. There were five, and they were coming this way.

"Ellie. Let's get a move on." They were trying to stay as quiet as possible, and it worked until a creaky floorboard gave them away.

They bolted, Ellie ahead of Joel as he twisted his body to shoot at them. One was down--four to go. He tried again and missed and he kept running until he caught up to Ellie.

They saw the door and pushed harder, their escape urgent. Ellie reached it sooner than Joel and pushed the door open. She ran through, and Joel right after her. They slammed the door, hearing the quartet smack against it. Angrily clicking, they hit the door with force, but Ellie and Joel were already gone.

They ran until they reached a nearby forest.

"Holy shit." Ellie said as she took out her canteen and poured a little water on her face and then gulped it down.

Joel just looked at her, his face pensive and serious. "That was too damn close."

"Yeah, but you did it. The way you handled it was kinda awesome." She replied as she stuffed the canteen back into her pack, and Joel smirked but quickly returned back to his previous expression.

"You good?"  
Ellie nodded and he said, "Then let's get a move on.”

*********  
"Joel, look at this." He was sitting on the old beat up couch in this cabin they had found in the woods. They inspected it and there were no infected and two thick blankets--which were like a collection of Savage Starlights to Ellie. However, it wasn't the only thing she found.

"Look, it still works." She pulled out the photo from the camera and looked at it.

"Or not. Nothing showed up."  
"That's because it's a polaroid. Here, gimme the photo."  
Ellie handed it to him, and he shook it. "Keep doing that," he instructed. The photo had begun to emerge.  
"Ah, that's so fucking cool!" She kept shaking it, revealing the silly photo she'd taken of herself.

She passed it to Joel, and upon seeing it, he snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I stand by what I said. You're a weird kid."

"Fuck you." She said with a smile. "Anyways, it's your turn."

"I think that's the funniest joke you've told me." He set his head back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"It's not a joke," Ellie told him, "I want a photo of you. I mean... We haven't had the best time, and you probably can't wait to get rid of me, but when I go...I want to have something to remember you by."

Joel brought his head back up, and he could see her eyes were glossy. His heart twinged a bit, but he brushed it off.

"Fine."

She led him to a room in the cabin where the sun was still bright and she had him stand near the window. As she brought the camera up to her eye, he offered a small smile, and it clicked.

The photo came out the front, and she took it out and began shaking it. When it showed up, she smiled and passed it to him.

He stared at it for a bit, remembering what it felt like to have a photo snapped.

He held it out for her.

"Thank you." He told her. She smiled and told him, "Now let's get a move on. We gotta rest up for later."


End file.
